Chapter 9: Infinite Prison
Space twisted—
And in the next instant, everyone disappeared.
When they opened their eyes—
Silence greeted them.
An endless void stretched in every direction.
No sky.
No ground.
No horizon.
Yet—
They were standing.
On something solid.
Even though beneath them… there was nothing.
Yuri's voice trembled.
"W-Where are we…?"
Yura looked around slowly, his eyes scanning everything.
"I don't know," he said.
"I teleported us toward the Dragon God's energy…"
Ryuha narrowed his gaze.
"And it's still here," he said calmly.
"The same energy."
Hyuri clenched her fists.
"Then… where exactly are we?"
Yura's expression darkened slightly.
"…This feels like a trap."
A voice echoed.
Deep.
Ancient.
And filled with amusement.
"Ha… ha ha ha…"
"I didn't expect the new Demon King… to fall into my trap so easily."
Everyone froze.
Except one.
Yura.
Yuri looked around nervously.
"Whose voice is that…?"
Zack stepped forward, alert.
"Don't tell me… that's the Dragon God…"
Yura spoke calmly.
"It is."
Silence.
"And we've already lost our advantage," he continued.
"We're trapped."
Hyuri turned to him sharply.
"How can you be so sure?!"
Yura's gaze lifted slightly.
"Because this place… isn't part of our world."
A pause.
"It's a dimension."
"Created and controlled… entirely by the Dragon God."
Hyuri's face paled.
"Then that means…"
"We can't escape," Yura finished.
Panic spread.
Breathing grew heavier.
Fear crept into every corner of the void—
Except for three.
Yura.
Ryuha.
Riyu.
Yura stepped forward slightly.
"Don't panic," he said calmly.
"I'm still here."
Then—
He looked upward.
"Anthres."
A pause.
"Can you hear me?"
The voice laughed.
"Oh? So the current Demon King… knows my name."
The void trembled.
"But it doesn't matter."
"This is the Infinite Prison Dimension."
"You cannot escape."
"Not now. Not ever."
Yura's eyes didn't change.
"Is that so?"
"Let me show you something," Anthres said.
Suddenly—
Light formed.
A massive screen appeared before them.
And what it showed—
froze everyone.
The battlefield.
The Demon Kingdom.
Destroyed.
Iera—bleeding, barely breathing.
Twras—motionless.
Ursula—collapsed.
Ren—broken.
For a moment—
No one spoke.
Yuri covered her mouth.
"N-No…"
Her voice trembled.
"This can't be…"
Zack clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"…We were too late."
Riyu's eyes burned with fury.
"Those bastards…"
Hyuri staggered back a step.
"All four… defeated…?"
Even Izuha couldn't hide her shock.
"This isn't a battle anymore…"
"This is a massacre…"
Only Yura remained still.
Watching.
Silently.
On the battlefield—
Iera's fingers twitched.
Slowly—
He forced his body to move.
Pain screamed through every nerve—
But he stood.
No…
I have to stop them…
Until Lord Yura arrives…
I have to protect them…
He raised his head—
And shouted with everything he had left.
"Until Lord Yura gets here—"
"I will protect the other three Elders!!"
Rox turned.
Then grinned.
"So you're still alive?"
In an instant—
He appeared in front of Iera.
"I thought you were already dead."
Iera's body trembled.
Blood flowed.
His voice barely came out—
"A… as long as I'm alive…"
"You… won't win…"
A broken laugh escaped him.
"H… ha… ha…"
Then—
He straightened.
Barely.
Closed his eyes.
And took a stance.
"Life… Devastate."
Inside the dimension—
The screen vanished.
Yura's eyes widened.
For the first time—
A crack appeared in his calm.
"…Move."
His voice dropped.
"Everyone—get back."
Ryuha looked at him.
"What are you planning to do, Yura?"
Others stepped back instinctively.
"T-What are you doing?"
Yura didn't hesitate.
"I'm destroying this dimension."
Shock.
Riyu stepped forward.
"That's insane! We'll get caught in it too!"
Yura didn't even look at him.
"Ryuha."
A pause.
"Put a barrier around everyone."
Ryuha smirked faintly.
"…Understood."
Yura closed his eyes.
Did I hear it right…?
Life Devastate…?
Don't do it… Iera…
Just stay alive…
A barrier of dark energy formed around everyone.
Sealing them safely within.
Then—
Yura spoke.
Softly.
But the world reacted.
"Orcas…"
"First Form."
"Energy Extinction."
The void trembled.
Wind—
began to flow.
In a place where wind shouldn't exist.
A deep red aura erupted from Yura's body.
Violent.
Unstable.
Ancient.
His eyes opened—
And his pupils had turned crimson.
Hyuri's voice broke.
"K—What is that…?!"
Izuha's body shook.
"N-No… don't tell me—"
"Orcas…?!"
"Silence," Riyu said sharply.
"Not now."
They fell quiet.
But their eyes—
remained locked on Yura.
His arms—
his legs—
slowly turned red.
As if something within him had awakened.
Then—
He moved.
A single step forward.
A single punch—
He struck the ground beneath him.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then—
Crack.
The entire dimension trembled.
Cracks spread across the void—
like shattered glass.
Endless.
Unstoppable.
The Infinite Prison—
began to break.
Far away—
Anthres's smile faded.
"…Impossible."
Back inside—
The cracks widened.
Reality screamed.
Space collapsed inward.
And Yura—
stood at the center of it all.
Unmoving.
Unshaken.
The dimension was no longer stable.
It was—
breaking.
And in that collapsing void—
something else began to awaken.
End of Chapter 9